The Top 60: Cambridge BioMarketing

Cambridge BioMarketing posted strong gains in 2007, notably securing AOR status for Alexion Pharmaceuticals' first product, Soliris. The agency is integrating disease awareness and product campaigns, both print and digital, for the product. Additional account wins include Vertex Pharmaceuticals' lead hepatitis C virus compound telaprevir, as well as market development and promotion assignments for Medtronic Diabetes. All in all, the agency's 50-plus staff received seven digital media development assignments in 2007, and the goal of breaking the $10 million income level is in sight for 2008.

Obstacles for the agency include, as CEO Steve West puts it, “the time-honored challenge of adding people to handle the surge and keeping product and service excellence up without killing people.” The challenge of recruiting talented staff is magnified by the agency's Boston location, says West.

Continuous new business opportunities promise continued growth for 2008. The agency's tagline “Be Heard” could be interpreted as a response to the stormy relationship between the industry and public trust. “The industry created empowered consumers through DTC/DTP promotion, and enabled dialogue between doctors and patients. Now, those newly empowered consumers are asking direct questions to the industry and, with rare exception, not getting direct answers. Genuineness engenders trust.”